Gone Wrong
by winded-wolf
Summary: All I wanted was to see her face again... but now I find myself wishing that I hadn't... Why must everything that's right go wrong? NanoFate and mild NanoYuuno Rated T but caution for language
1. The Beginning or The End?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, but I wish I did.

P.S. Tantum is a planet that I made up. It is completely covered with scorching deserts and has been having serious rebellion trouble. Its government is close to collapsing. Many leaders there are corrupt and part of the rebellion group.

Key: '_Thoughts/telepathy'_

"Talking"

"_Talking in a different language_"

ENJOY

Chapter 1: The Beginning or The End?

"This is Enforcer Fate T. Harlaown performing the routine check-in with Sector 6. Are you there, Lieutenant Colonel Yagami?" I waited for a response from the holographic screen in front of me, taking a moment to straighten out my black Enforcer uniform and fix my long blonde hair. After several seconds, a woman with pink hair and piercing blue eyes appeared on the screen. I might've been imagining it, but I could have sworn that those deep blue orbs softened significantly when they met my red orbs. _'Yeah, MUST be my imagination'_ I thought.

"Hello, First Lieutenant Signum. Where's Lieutenant Colonel Yagami?" I asked.

"So formal, Testarossa." Signum smirked. "If you were my subordinate, I would make you address me like that all the time."

"Ha-ha, very funny," I replied sarcastically. "I'm calling for work, so what you call 'formal' is what I call appropriate for business. And I would love to banter with you back and forth, but I need to report to the Lieutenant Colonel right away."

"Well, Hayate is in a meeting with Nanoha at the moment; they're discussing what to do when your mission is over. Just tell me your status, and then I will report to Hayate for you."

"I'm currently headed for the airfield of Tantum for departure. The Tantum Army insisted on escorting me; they believe that I'm in danger with all the rebels roaming the desert presently." Signum raised one eyebrow, which is probably the first time I've seen her with a variation of worry in her expression.

"You're in danger? Have you been threatened?" I sighed.

"I wouldn't call one particularly aggressive video that was delivered to my temporary headquarters a 'threat', but yeah, I've been engaged by the rebels once or twice." Signum looked like she was about to interrupt, but I held up my hand to silence her before she could sound one syllable. "Look, I've had my share of attacks while on different planets for missions, but I can tell you that this is nothing serious. However, I've gathered some information on the rebels, just in case." I paused, curious as to whether Signum would scold me about not being careful or not reporting this sooner.

After a moment of silence, I continued.

"They call themselves the 'Tantum Riders'. Well known for surprise attacks in broad daylight, the Riders focus their efforts on the army's tanks and heavily armored vehicles using bazookas, missiles, the works. The sand dunes are what the Riders' best weapon, giving them a better view, sturdy defense, and camouflage. They rebel ut of greed, not justice."

"Testarossa, why don't you just fly to the airfield? That way, you would eliminate the chance of actually being attacked." Signum asked. In the background, I could hear footsteps approaching the door behind Signum. I could almost hear my heart beat in my ears from anticipation.

I haven't seen Nanoha for almost a year now, due to the mission on the planet Tantum. We thought that it would only take two to three months to get the government stabilized, but the Riders have been making it almost impossible with their constant threats and raids. Hayate was pushed by Nanoha constantly to let her come and help me, but I refused. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Nanoha got badly hurt on a mission… Again.

I shuddered. Soon after Nanoha and I joined the Bureau, Nanoha was sent on a mission with Vita. Nanoha pushed herself too hard and almost didn't come back alive. The doctors thought that she would never be able to fly again, but Nanoha proved them wrong. But it's not how Nanoha got hurt that scared me.

It was **that** she got hurt and how Vita was affected by it. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to hold Nanoha in my arms, her body broken and bloody and her life almost gone. Even though she got better, Vita has never really been the same since, but I don't blame her. At the time, both Yuuno Scrya (childhood friend of Nanoha) and I were rivals, but I was completely unaware as to how Vita felt about Nanoha. Of course, I don't have to worry about her now since I'm currently dating a certain side-ponytailed Captain. Yup, I finally got my act together and confessed to Nanoha. It actually happened soon after that night that I found her on her rooftop, crying her eyes out about Vivio. Ever since we got Vivio back, we've been dating, which is four years including the year this mission has eaten up.

To sum it up, I REALLY wanted to see Nanoha. The last time that I even got to see her face was at least four months ago; she's been really busy with Vivio and trying to support me from home.

Signum coughed. "Hey, Testarossa… I'd really like to finish this report before your girlfriend gets in here and distracts you completely. Okay?" I felt my face burning. '_I must look like a tomato right now._'

"I told the Commander of the Tantum Army to let me fly, but he didn't really give me a choice."

"I smell a set up," Signum scrunched her nose as if she just sniffed a garbage truck.

"So do I, but I think it would have looked bad for me to disrespect the Commander's last orders to me." I smiled. "I don't think I'll miss feeling like a mercenary. Working for that man was terrible." Suddenly, I heard gunfire outside. Signum heard it, too.

"Testarossa, please don't tell me that you are in a heavily armored vehicle crossing the desert right now and that gunfire is going off right outside your vehicle." Signum paled as an explosion sounded, and it was close.

"Umm… okay. I'm not in a heavily armored vehicle crossing—"

"Testarossa! This is not a joking matter!" The softness of her deep blue eyes vanished as Signum yelled and stood abruptly, knocking her chair over. Before either of us could say anything, the door opened behind Signum. That's when I saw her for the first time in months.

"Nanoha…" I muttered under my breath. She was as beautiful as ever, but then an explosion went off underneath my vehicle, sending it flipping and flying through the air. After some rolling, the armored vehicle settled on its roof. As I hung upside down, I made the holographic screen move to my wrist communicator, creating a more compact screen. I was regaining my senses, but it was hard to do with a bunch of yelling coming at me from the three women on the screen.

"Hey!" I yelled, shutting them all up. I smiled. "Good thing I was wearing my seatbelt." I tried to laugh, but ended coughing. I looked at the hand that I used to cover my mouth. It was covered with blood.

"Testarossa! Listen to me." I looked at the screen, trying and failing to not look at Nanoha. "You need to get out of there. The vehicle could blow up at anytime."

"Right," I said. It was difficult to hear most of what Signum said with all the explosions and gun shots in the area, but I got the idea. I needed to move it if I didn't want to go flying in this car again. I unbuckled my seatbelt and successfully hit my head on the ground.

"I knew it. This ceiling is **way** too low." I sat up and rubbed my head for a split second, then crawled to the door. As I was opening it, Hayate spoke to me via my wrist screen.

"Once you get outside, activate Bardiche and get out of there. I have already contacted the Tantum airfield. They'll search the skies for you." I mumbled an "okay" as I climbed out of the overturned vehicle. I paused, my legs still in my almost death chamber.

"…Testarossa?"

"Has anyone else noticed that it's suddenly quiet?" I whispered. Moving slowly, I crawled out of the vehicle completely and put my back against the outside. I muttered a curse under my breath as I noticed that one of my shins was broken and a deep gash in my abdomen was causing me to lose a lot of blood. I knew from just looking at it that I only had a few minutes before I passed out from blood loss. '_Great. Just great._'

I lifted up my wrist to speak, but then I heard a gun being cocked, the tip pushing at the back of my head. I heard a terrified gasp from my wrist. A man's voice boomed in my ears, speaking the language of Tantum. After spending a whole year on this planet, I've become almost fluent.

"_You are the blonde Bureau Enforcer that we have been after for many months, yes? I will be welcomed as a hero back at our headquarters," _the man said.

"_What is your name?_" I asked. The man seemed to consider whether he should answer me or just blow my brains out. Thankfully, he chose to post-pone my death.

"_Raggul._"

"_Please, Raggul… Please let me say goodbye… Please…" _I've never been big on begging, especially when it comes to people that are trying to kill me, but this was different. Not only was I at gunpoint with no chance of getting away without a bullet in me, but I was also losing a lot of blood. Not only was I going to die… I might die with Nanoha watching. There's no way that I was going to let Nanoha see that.

"_Why should I? Why shouldn't I just make your comrades watch as I kill you?_" He pushed my head forward with the gun for emphasis. I winced slightly in pain. '_I must have done something when I fell earlier,_' I thought. My wrist was still posed right in front of my face, so it was extremely difficult for me not to look at Signum and Hayate's faces, but it was painful to keep my eyes off of Nanoha.

"_Because,"_ I paused, looking for the right way to phrase what I wanted to say. "_ Because… the love of my life is watching. I just want to say goodbye… one last time._"

I don't know how long I just sat there, waiting for my executioner to decide if my love is worth his time. It felt like a lifetime before I felt the gun removed from my skull. I almost collapsed, either from relief or blood loss… Who knows?

"_You have two minutes to say what you have to. After that, well…_" he chuckled. I didn't have much energy left, so I might not get to experience what the man had planned for me. My vision was poor, and my hands were shaking. '_I don't have much time at all._'

I finally looked at the screen, and almost wished that I hadn't. Hayate was pale as a ghost. Signum's expression was one of fear and anguish, which means a lot coming from the Leader of the Knights. But… Nanoha's face… It hurt me more than that gun ever could. No emotion was present on her face. No smile, no hint of what she may be thinking. Nothing… except the tears that were gathering in her eyes.

"Hayate…" I said, my voice was raspy, my throat dry. "Do whatever you can to keep the government here stable, but don't let another agent of the Bureau step foot on this god–forsaken planet. Don't let my sacrifices go to waste, okay?" She nodded her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I won't. I promise." I felt something warm on my chin. I wiped it and found blood on my hand. Not a good sign…

"Signum." The knight raised her gaze, deep blue meeting wine red, for might be the last time. "I will leave Caro and Erio in your care. You have taught me so much through our battles… I can only hope you can teach at least half of that to my kids. Half of your knowledge would make them the best Bureau agents that ever lived." I gave a weak smile and laugh, but started coughing up more blood. "Don't you dare forget the name Testarossa." She smiled in response, making me feel like I got punched in the gut. The small grin was beautiful, but so sad at the same time.

"_You have one minute," _the man interrupted. I grimaced. I had one minute to say everything I have ever wanted to say to the woman I have loved for most of my life… A lifetime wouldn't give me enough time to do that. I breathed in deeply.

"Nanoha," I said as I exhaled. "I… I could never have enough time to tell you how much…" I stopped. My eyes were burning from the tears that threatened to spill over. '_I won't cry. I'll be strong in these last moments… For Nanoha._' "…How much I love you."

She started at me for at least ten seconds… ten long silent seconds. Then something clicked into place. She started screaming at me, screaming for me. I just sat there, listening to her cries and trying not to cry myself. I only had to say one word to make her listen.

"Nanoha…"

"Fate… please… Please don't leave me!"

"Nanoha… Listen."

Regardless of the pain, I stood. Despite the jolts of pain racking through my leg because of my broken shin, I took step after step towards the man who has sworn to kill me. My wrist was by my side so that Nanoha could see what I was doing. So that she could see that I wasn't going to go down without fighting back.

"_What are you doing? Stand back!_" The man pointed the gun at me, and halted. "_Now… turn around_." I did as I was told. '_Bardiche, get ready!'_

"Nanoha… I'm sorry... Forgive me!" I took action and turned as fast as my body would let me, but the gun was faster. As I turned to my right, the man pulled the trigger. I didn't feel anything at first, so I called out to Bardiche: "SONIC MOVE!"

I moved faster than any bullet could, quickly disarming the man and knocking him of balance, then changing my wrist communicator to a homing device. I heard Nanoha's last scream for me before the muffled buzzing started, which meant the device was working.

"Bind," I commanded. Several yellow rings wrapped around the man, who looked quite surprised and angry. "Sorry, Raggul, but I believe that this is your flight." Using whatever magical strength I had left, I hurled the man north-bound. After the adrenaline died down, I collapsed in the sand and heat; I felt the intense and fresh pain from the bullet wound in my right arm. I had only a little strength left. I figured that I should use it to say goodbye to my oldest friend.

"So Bardiche… How far do you suppose that man went?" I asked, huffing with exhaustion.

"About one hundred kilometers, sir."

"Is that enough to kill him?"

"Results may vary. The man could easily land in a sand dune, which would cushion his fall. There is the small probability that he could be intercepted by a cactus, but that is very unlikely, sir." I had to smile at that.

"It was a pleasure being able to fight with you, Bardiche."

"I believe that you are underestimating Lieutenant Colonel Hayate Yagami's ability to send out a reinforcement squad, sir."

"What do you mean?"

"That vehicle approaching us at approximately 80.5 miles per hour is an Administration Bureau vehicle, is it not, sir? If not, they should be pulled over for ignoring the speed limit which is clearly marked as 40 miles per hour." I looked over in the distance.

"That was fast…" I muttered before the darkness consumed me. A familiar scream was ringing in my ears. '_Nanoha…'_

END?

**_Wolf of Wind: Hey guys! This is my first time writing a Nanoha fanfic, so yeah... I'll continue the story soon, but be patient until then. I hope you enjoy it!_**


	2. Coming Into the Light

**_WoW: _**Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone who left a review for chapter 1! You guys really encouraged me to get this chapter out sooner! I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha or SpongeBob Squarepants.

**_ENJOY!_**

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

Coming Into the Light

Darkness. It was like being forever shrouded in the dark. I saw nothing, yet it felt like I could see everything at the same time. Images would randomly appear, but most of them were like the horizon: dark and depressing.

I saw my sister Alicia and my once sane mother Precia, smiling and laughing with me. The picture perfect world that involved a mother that loved me burned before my eyes, and I felt the stings from my mother whipping me, over and over. It quickly flashed to when I watched my mother fall to her death, right after I had tried to save her, even if she hated me.

I dodged a pink blade that tried to decapitate me. Assessing the situation, I realized that I was fighting my first battle with Signum. Suddenly, a huge beam of light appeared and broke through the surrounding barrier. I turned around in time to see Nanoha faint; panic overwhelmed me. I blinked and the scene changed yet again. This time, I'm sitting in a hospital room. '_This is getting ridiculous. These… memories(?) are appearing and disappearing so quickly that I can hardly have coherent thoughts!'_ A short man in a white lab coat is speaking to me, but I only hear one phrase.

"She… she may not ever be able to walk again, much less fly," he said.

"What? Are her injuries really that severe?" I looked back and forth between the short man and the bandaged person on the hospital bed (which wasn't very hard because they were equal in height).

"I'm afraid so, Ms. Harlaown. Frankly, she's lucky to even be alive!" I clenched my jaw.

"…Thank you, doctor. Could you please give me a moment with her?"

"Of course, . If you need anything, simply call for one of the nurses." And then the short man waddled out of the room. After I heard the door click shut, I moved right next to the bandaged person. I grasped the mummy-like hand, trying hard to keep myself together. Tears began to slowly roll down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Nanoha. I… I wasn't able to protect you!" I started sobbing. "I wish that it was me. I would rather have me in your place than sit here, thinking about what I could've done. I'm so sorry, Nanoha!"

The darkness consumed my vision again, but it was different this time. A small white light was in the distance, almost like a star. I didn't know what it was, but I ran as fast as I could towards it. As I sprinted, snapshots of all the hardship I've had to endure in my life lined up on each side of my path. Blurs of memories I've tried to forget haunted me through these snapshots, making run faster in order to get away from them all. Glimpses of moments that I let down those that mattered most to me, failing to protect them or tell them how I really felt. With every step I took forward, I felt the pain and utter disappointment in myself grow heavier on my heart. At one point, I felt something pulling me back towards the depths of the darkness; apparently, I wasn't imagining that. The darkness somehow formed thousands of hands that constantly tried to drag me to their origin, a place that I refused to go back to. However, the more I struggled against the darkness's grip, the more hopeless I got. Right when I was about to give in, the star in the distance… changed. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but after blinking profusely, I realized that the pure, white light had indeed become a bright, familiar pink. Then, the star suddenly expanded to the size of the sun; its intensity caused the arms and the darkness to evaporate.

'Perplexed' suits how I reacted to this strange development. Though the pink sun was so warm, I still felt cold and dark inside. Without really considering whether this colorful ball of fire was actually a sun and turn me into sizzling bacon, I strode closer to it. As the brilliant pink rays washed over my body, I then realized my rashness. It's strange, though, because the pain that was coursing through my body wasn't due to burning from the close proximity of the sun, but it felt more like I was getting struck by lightning over and over again. What's even weirder is that I didn't even flinch from the electricity; I just stood there in the pink sunlight, literally being charged up like a battery. I wasn't even scared about what was happening… I was ecstatic! Some voice in the back of my mind told me that I was finally going home.

* * *

><p>I lurched forward into a sitting up position on a bed, gasping for air that seemed more delicious than I remember it being. My heart was beating fast, threatening to leap out of my chest and run away like the Gingerbread Man. I strained my eyes to see, for they seemed out of focus and kind of numb, like I hadn't used them for a long, long time. I knew instantly that I was in the infirmary in Sector 6, which was run by Shamal.<p>

My brain finally caught up with my body. I moved my limbs and inspected my torso for the deep wound that should have still been there but wasn't. '_That's odd. My body feels perfectly fine, other than being a little stiff._' I stretched out my right arm. '_Even the bullet wound in my arm is gone… Either Shamal has gotten really good at healing or I was unconscious for more than a few hours… or maybe even more than a few days._' That thought made my skin crawl. How long had it really been since I passed out on Tantum? Maybe, just maybe, I got lucky and Shamal miraculously became the galaxy's best healer.

I got out of the bed, which was mistake. My legs collapsed underneath me, and I fell to the hard floor, successfully making a huge amount of noise. I managed to bang my head on the bed as I fell, so I was rubbing it when the curtain surrounding me flew open to a frantic Shamal. "Oh no, please don't tell me Fate managed to fall off the bed!"

"Yup, you guessed it," I said, blushing from how clumsy I am, but freaking out on the inside. '_Why did that happen? Have I really been out for that long?_'

A hush fell upon the room. Shamal stared at me. I stared at Shamal as I rubbed my head. "Uh… Shamal? Are you okay? Why are you looking at me like that?" I questioned, a thick coat of worry evident in my voice. Turns out that I didn't really want to know the answers to my questions.

"…Fate? Are you… are you really awake?" Shamal still had a blank stare on her face, but tears started to escape from the corners of her eyes. "Is this real?"

"What do you mean 'Is this real'? Was I really out for that long? Let me guess, I was unconscious for three months, wasn't I? That's how long it would take for my wounds to have healed completely. Man, I have sooo much paper work to d—"

"Fate… Do you know what today is?" Shamal wiped the tears from her face, her gaze became serious.

"Uh…no… It's not like I have a built in calendar, Shamal. Tell me, what's today? How long was I out of commission?" I raised an eyebrow when Shamal took a deep breath. "Okay… it was five months then?"

"Fate. You have been in a coma for five years."

* * *

><p>It's been at least thirty, maybe forty-five, minutes since Shamal gave me the worst news of my life, and I still hadn't moved from the floor next to the infirmary bed. Thoughts wouldn't stop popping into my brain: <em>'Where is Nanoha? What does Vivio look like? Is Nanoha okay? What's happened to Caro and Erio? I need to find Nanoha. Wait, how old does this make me? I NEED to see Nanoha. Five years?'<em>

"I need to go…" Slipped out of my mouth before I jumped on to my feet and found some clothes that I could use until I got back home… until I found Nanoha.

"No, you're not going anywhere! I have to tell Hayate and Signum and contact everyone else! Also, your body might be too weak for you to go anywhere!" Shamal said, but it felt more like she was ordering me around. No way was I going to sit around for one more second when I've already lost five years of my life.

"Sorry, Shamal, but I need to go. NOW." I pulled a black t-shirt over my head, put on some dark wash jeans, then tied some new-ish black converse. '_I'll never get sick of wearing black._' I snatched Bardiche from the table next to the bed and stuffed him into my pocket.

"What is it that has you wanting to leave so quickly?" Shamal was starting to get annoyed. I grabbed a black hair tie and fixed my golden locks into a regular ponytail. I scanned the room and saw a black leather jacket and a red motorcycle helmet in the corner by the door.

"Only the most important person in my life. The reason that I'm even awake right now. I'm going to see Nanoha, and I won't let anyone stop me." I know that I was being rash, but who wouldn't after finding out that you've been in a coma for five years. I strode to the door picking up the helmet and jacket on my way out the door. "Don't you dare tell her I'm coming, either!" I yelled over my shoulder as I sprinted down the corridor. I didn't bother to look back but I could have sworn that I heard Shamal yell something like "Wait, there's something you should know first!" and something else along those lines. I didn't care about anything other than seeing Nanoha's beautiful face again. '_This time… I won't have to say goodbye._'

* * *

><p>I dismounted off the black and yellow motorcycle that I 'borrowed' from someone at the Headquarters. I ran into the building that I remember calling home for the longest time. I tapped my foot impatiently as the elevator ascended to the apartment Nanoha, Vivio, and I shared for what were the happiest years of my life. I got chills either from the cold night bike ride or the sentence that Shamal tried to yell at me earlier. '<em>I don't know what she said… Why is it bothering me so much?<em>' A soft ding alerted me that I had arrived at the correct floor. I had to stop myself from kicking the door in as I approached my old home. I paused with my hand on the doorknob.

"It just occurred to me that I'm dressed in all black… I hope she doesn't mistake me for a burglar," I muttered to myself. Without further delay, I opened the door to my old home. It looked about the same, but it was hard to tell with all the lights off. The first part of the house that you come to is the kitchen, and from the kitchen are two door ways: the left lead to the living room, the right to the bedroom. I couldn't help but blush when I thought of our (Nanoha and I) bed, and all the… um… 'adventures' we had whenever Vivio was out of the house or sound asleep. I was called back to the real world when I heard the most lovable laugh I have ever heard echo from the living room. I was curious as to what Nanoha was laughing at, since it was way too late for Vivio to be awake and all the lights were off. Carefully avoiding the kitchen table and other furniture, I snuck over to the left door way. I peered around the corner, giving me a great view of the couch. That's when I saw her… I finally saw her.

Nanoha was wearing a light blue button up shirt with the long sleeves rolled up to the top of her forearms, and a white tank top lay underneath the shirt. She sat cross-legged on the far right of the couch in jean shorts. The brunette's hair was in its usual side ponytail, which I always thought looked pretty damn hot on her. Nanoha's slate blue eyes were focused to her right, looking at something that I couldn't see. '_What is she looking at that's so amusing?'_ Then, I noticed a look in her eyes… overflowing with passion and love. She would only look at me like that… '_What the hell is she looking at?'_

I wish I didn't know.

I saw a person –a man, to be exact –walk over to Nanoha from the direction she was looking before. I could only see from the back, so all I saw was his long dirty blond hair in a low ponytail and his glasses. '_Wait… no…_' I felt my heart turn cold. Before I could look away, I saw the dirty blond bend over and kiss Nanoha on the lips, but he didn't stop there. They started making out in front of me, making my blood boil and want to throw up at the same time. "Yuuno Scrya," I quietly hissed.

I couldn't believe my eyes… Yuuno and Nanoha? I turned and pressed my back against the kitchen wall, my heart being stabbed a hundred times a second. '_Nanoha… and Yuuno…_' I bit my lip to stop the tears from falling. I don't usually cry… I'm actually pretty tough, but this wasn't spilled milk I was about to cry over. It was **my** Nanoha in there. **My** Nanoha… who's with Yuuno. I finally realized why Shamal was yelling to me as I ran away from the infirmary. She was trying to warn me and protect me from this. Everything came together, and I felt my heart turn colder and colder.

All I could think about was Yuuno being with Nanoha, but then I thought, '_…She didn't wait for me… Nanoha didn't wait for me to wake up._' I mentally slapped myself. '_Of course she didn't! HELLO~! You were in a coma for FIVE YEARS!'_ I told myself. '_Besides… why would _she _wait for someone like _me_?_' Guilt trip mode, activated. '_I got to get out of here. I'll just go and grab some of my clothes and leave. I'll just have to face her another day._' I stood up and tip-toed to the bedroom. I got a few of my favorite outfits and packed them into my favorite black (Of course it's black! ;D) duffel. I crept back into the kitchen and started to walk towards the door, but then some conversation caught my attention…

"So, Nanoha," Yuuno said. "You know how we've been seeing each other for awhile now, and we both care about each other a lot…" '_Shit. This better not be what I think it is._'

"…Yuuno?" Nanoha said in surprised –but also disappointed? –tone. I couldn't help but glance into the living room, but I really wish that I hadn't'. There he was, Yuuno down on one knee in front of Nanoha, ring out. "Nanoha Takamachi… Will you marry me?"

"... Yes. Yes, I will." I felt anger build up in me, and when I get angry, well… let's just say that I don't exactly skip around singing "F.U.N." from SpongeBob Squarepants. I slightly regarded that Nanoha didn't really sound excited that Yuuno proposed to her, but I was too busy trying not to kill Yuuno to give a shit about her tone.

I basically ran out of the apartment, not paying attention to how much noise I made. By the time I was in the doorway, I heard voices not too far behind me, and they sounded worried and curious about where all the noise came from. Honestly, I would have jumped out a window if it meant I would get away from that damn Yuuno faster, but I didn't want to risk it; I still wasn't sure about my physical condition. But… I knew that I could run. So, I ran. I sprinted around a corner to reach the elevator and pressed the down button. The elevator was being ultra slow and I could hear footsteps nearing the corner. I prayed that it wouldn't be Yuuno, 'cause I would kill him on the spot. But I hoped with every fiber of my being that it wasn't Nanoha either; I don't know what I would do or say to her now, especially after… everything. I cursed under my breath when I saw someone come to a stop at least ten feet away from me, and the elevator was still at the 15th floor… I was on the 25th. '_…Fuck._'

I turned my head in the opposite direction that I came from and where the person was standing. There just so happened to be a huge window to the wall adjacent to the elevator, parallel to the corridor that my old apartment is in. I noted that I was raining and that God must hate me right now. If you don't know by now, let me tell you that it's a pain in the ass to ride a motorcycle in the rain. I glanced at the elevator… still seven floors to go. From the corner of my eye, I could tell that the person was still ten feet away and maybe staring at me. Just then, the rain picked up, thunder boomed, and lightning light up the night sky… Also, the power went out. '_Seriously?'_

"… Fate…" A small whisper echoed in the now dark hallway, lit up by the occasional lightning streaking across the dark storm clouds. "Is it really you?" '_…Fuck again._' I turned to come face-to-face with the one person that I cared for the most, the one who just smashed my heart to pieces.

"Yeah… It's me, Nanoha." Thunder shook the building while lightning permitted me to see those beautiful blue eyes, moistened by fresh tears. I shifted my glance back to the elevator. I was stuck here until the power came back on or if I could build up enough nerve to actually jump out the window (no, I wasn't joking earlier). Let's see how far we get with the first option. "Where's Yuuno?" I could hear the venom in my voice, and I kind of liked it. Hey, it's a lot better than punching something, right?

"…How much did you hear?" Her sweet voice made the situation worse; it made me feel like I could forget all my troubles and hold her in my embrace forever.

"I heard enough to get a good idea of what things are now. I _saw_ plenty, though." I turned towards the window, listening closely to the raindrop hit the glass. The sound of rain always calmed my nerves, but it wasn't really working for me at the moment. I waited for Nanoha to speak again, but silence filled the void for a few seconds. "Are you happy?" I asked, my voice low because I was afraid of it cracking due to my tears falling down my face at the moment. Tears of anger and hurt stained my cheeks, but I didn't dare wipe them away. I wouldn't let Nanoha see me cry.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was closer than before.

"Well, you have your soon-to-be-husband, a daughter that loves you with all her heart… Everything you could ask for." I dropped my duffel on the floor so I could cross my arms across my chest. "You have nothing that could ruin your life… or you won't anymore. After tonight, you won't have to worry about one person anymore…"

"…Fate, I will always lov—"

"NO!" I turned around to face her, slightly surprised at how much closer she was than before. Now, only three or four feet separated us, but I didn't really care. I was pissed. "You don't get to say that to me anymore! You chose HIM! Him! You can't have both of us, Nanoha. And since I was in a fucking COMA for five fucking years, YOU decided to be with HIM. So, don't you DARE say 'I love YOU', because you chose HIM over me."

"Fate, I—"

"No, you listen to me. I've just woken up from a coma to find out that I lost FIVE YEARS out of my life, and you know what I did first? I came here to find **you**. But I walk into what used to be my house to find you with Ferret Boy!"

"Just let me explain!"

"What is there to explain, Nanoha? You couldn't wait for me! You fell in love with Yuuno! YOU'RE GETTING FUCKING MARRIED TO HIM!" I was shaking with rage, with hurt. "All I could think about was you, Nanoha… When I was in that coma for five years, do you know what made me wake up?" I pause just to see if she had anything to add. "Let me just tell you that I was experiencing Hell during those five years. I had never ending nightmares and flashbacks to when I let down the people that I cared about the most, times where I failed to protect those who I love! Then, out of nowhere, I see a small white light resembling a star. I ran for it, but no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't reach it. I almost gave in to the darkness that was imprisoning me! Then the small white star turned into a huge pink sun." I stopped and breathed for a few seconds. I ran a hand through my hair before I continued. "Do you get it? That pink sun that saved me from myself… that was YOU! You're the reason I woke up!"

"…"I sighed when she didn't say anything. Nanoha stared at the ground and nothing else.

"Now… Imagine what it would feel like to wake up, and the last time you where awake, you had to say goodbye to the person you loved the most because you were about to die. The first thing you do is go to see them, only to find them with a prick rival of yours, making out in your living room! And that's not even the best part! Then… then prick proposes to the person you love right in front of you, and they say 'yes'." I could feel the tears stinging my eyes. Yet, even after that speech where I basically announced to her that I still am in love with her and love her more than anything in the world, she doesn't say a word…

"I'm sorry." I hear her mumble. I turn to look her in the eyes, which are now looking at me rather than the floor. Tears flow freely down her face, which really makes me want to punch a wall. I hate when she cries, but the fact that **I** made her cry is the worst. I look her right in the eyes and tell it to her straight.

"Nanoha… You broke my heart into a thousand little pieces, then stomped them into dust… 'I'm sorry' doesn't cut it right now." I turn my back on the woman I love, grab my duffel, and sprint at the window. Ignoring the scream I hear from Nanoha, I jump, break the glass, then free fall for about ten floors. "Bardiche, let's get out of here."

"Yes sir."

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><p><strong><em>WoW:<em>** Well? Was it good? I have to say, there was lots more drama in this chapter than the last one. The first one was more action-y and this one is more drama-y. YUP! Please leave a review if you can! If you have any suggestions, you can PM me. Also, check out my poll on my profile! THANKS~


	3. What I Can Handle

**A/N**: Hey guys... don't kill me, okay? You see, my computer was infected by numerous viruses, and it took forever for me to fix it. I would have published this chapter via another computer, but I already had it written out and no way to access it. I hope that this chapter makes up for the extremely long wait... but I can only hope.

Just a heads up: this chapter is really just a lot of dialogue and information about what happened in the last 5 years. Fate's going to seem sort of OOC, but don't worry, it's part of the story.

And by the way, I do know that this is a NANOFATE story (I'm the one who wrote the description, remember?), so please don't send me any messages about how I'm screwing up the story because Yuuno and Nanoha are together and engaged. However, I DO appreciate all the awesome reviews and the concern that you all have for the story.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. That would be way to much work for my lazy ass. :)

ENJOY!

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><p>Chapter 3: What I Can Handle<p>

I honestly didn't care that it was raining and lightning. I didn't care that I was covered in dirt and soaked to the bone. I really didn't care if I was speeding. I just had to get away. I didn't care that I was driving without a destination in mind. I just needed to escape from HER, from this hell.

…Aaaand that's what I repeatedly told Hayate as she drove me to her house in her black SUV. "I don't care if I caught a cold."

"I know," was how she chose to respond to everything I said.

"I don't care about the fucking traffic laws," I muttered to no one in particular.

"I know," Hayate responded yet again. Silence filled the car for the rest of the ride except for the steady rhythm of the raindrops on the windshield and occasional roll of thunder. I distracted myself thoroughly, thinking about how fun it must be to fit the whole Yagami family (Hayate and the Knights) into this car for trips, or just not thinking at all while staring out the window. It felt like my whole body was numb, but I just told myself it was because I was drenched from my ride.

After jumping out of the building, I just ran to my 'borrowed' bike and sped off. I don't know how long I drove, weaving carelessly through the traffic and almost wiping out countless times. But I do know that I was on a dirt road somewhere out in the country when I finally did crash and burn. I hydroplaned and swerved head-on into a rail guard, flipping over the handlebars into a deep ditch, which surprisingly didn't even hurt. Tears still streamed down my face that displayed no emotion. I just laid there with the rain pouring down on me.

Eventually, Hayate found me in that sad state. She picked me up and placed me in the passenger seat, no questions asked. However, she did mention that there was a tracking device in the bike, if I was curious. But I wasn't… and I'm still not. I'm… numb, really. I guess that I shouldn't be surprised at what I said when Hayate finally pulled into her driveway. It was truly silent now since the storms had passed and the engine was off. We were just sitting in the car for a few peaceful moments… but I screwed that up, too.

"Hayate?" I didn't move to look to verify if she was listening to me, but I continued anyways. "I don't care… about living right now." This time, I did turn to stare into Hayate's blue eyes that instantly reminded me of _her_ eyes, pouring salt on my fresh wounds. "I wish that I didn't wake up… or that I died that day. Anything would have been better than this." The brunette's features remained indifferent… which is why I was completely taken by surprise when I felt her hand connect with my cheek.

When you see someone get slapped, you never really consider it to hurt that much compared to a punch or kick. But a stinging sensation remains in the area of contact; so really, a slap is really in a class of its own (separate from punches or kicks). I was unaware of this at the time, so let's just say I freaked out on the inside that 1) Hayate slapped me, 2) Slaps can really hurt, and 3)… Hayate just SLAPPED me! Only a hint of surprise developed in my expression as I reached up to touch my now red cheek. I shifted my gaze to Hayate's intense stare. So many different phrases popped into my mind, but only one really felt right.

"Thank you, Hayate," I said after taking a deep breath. She just smiled and nodded, as if saying "what are friends for?"

We made our way into the Yagami residence and becoming soaked in the process. "I'm home!" Hayate shouted as she peeled of her coat and hung it up on the nearby hanger. No response. "Everyone must still be at the office. There've been a lot of issues since your 'awakening.'" I couldn't help but chuckle when Hayate used air quotes like we did in high school. Hayate pouted. "Mou, Fate-chan is already laughing at me!" I couldn't help but laugh loudly now, spotting the relieved and satisfied Hayate wore out of the corner of my eye.

It felt odd, this familiar routine of bathing and eating a meal for the first time in years. It was even weirder when the rest of the Yagami family arrived and suffocating hugs followed. Surprisingly, Signum also gave me a hug, one that lasted longer than the others.

"It's been awhile, huh?" My eyes scanned the many faces, all so warm and comforting. I actually felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, but what that weight was, I cannot say. "Heh, sorry for giving you so much trouble tonight, Shamal." I scratched the back of my head. My expression hopefully did the job of showing how sorry I really was.

"Don't worry about it, Fate. I'm… We all are just glad that you are okay." A bright smile graced the blonde's lips.

I felt my face distort to a look of sorrow and doubt, and I couldn't stop myself before saying, "I wouldn't say that I'm… okay."

All those happy faces practically melted of as the family exchanged glances. Signum spoke first, "I'm sorry, Testarossa. But before you start over-thinking everything, you should let us explain." Everyone nodded at the same time, as if they had planned this all out. I chuckled at the thought.

"Well, it's good that you think that because I have many questions that you have no choice but to answer." I walked over to the couch and sat down. Everyone else followed suit –except for Zafira who took his spot by the other end of the couch. I took a moment to differentiate what I wanted to know now and what I can handle right now. "Why was I in a coma for so long?"

No response.

My red eyes lifted. All I could see was shocked expressions. What? Did you not expect me to ask that? "The injuries that I had shouldn't have been bad enough to cause that. In fact, there are very few injuries that can cause someone to do that."

"I wasn't your wounds that made that happen, Testarossa. It was what caused them," Signum explained still mildly confused. Why is she confused?

I already knew that Signum wasn't referring to the gash that came from the combat vehicle crashing. But… it didn't make sense. The only other injuries that I had received were from when that man –what was his name? –shot me in the arm. Then it clicked. "There was poison in the bullet," I murmured. Shamal nodded, having heard my revelation.

"Yes, and it's a foreign one. We've never encountered it before. It's suspected that I came from Tantum—"

"That's impossible," I interrupted. "Tantum is a wasteland. Pure desert. No plant could ever survive in those conditions." Shamal was about to say something, but I held up a hand to silence her. "No, that's all I wanted to know about that."

Signum crossed her arms. "Kind of rude, Testarossa." I mirrored the action and voiced my previous thoughts out loud.

"Sorry, but there's a difference between what I want to know and what I can handle right now." A second passed before the pink-haired woman nodded. "Now," I continued. "Will any of you tell me the current status of Tantum's government?" More surprised faces. Why am **I** not surprised?

"Well, there simply isn't a government, not since you left the planet." I stared at Hayate with disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me! What happened? The gang leader took over as soon as I left, didn't he?" A nod. "Who was it? Who is the Tantum Riders's ring leader?" Signum and Hayate exchanged looks. "Well?"

Hayate turned her blue eyes to my red. "…We don't know his name, but we believe that you met him firsthand, Fate." That can't be right. That only Rider that I met was—

"You must be mistaken. I only met one Rider, and his name was Raggul. He's merely a thug that knows how to threaten and fire a gun, definitely **not** their cunning and magnificent leader." It's true. I remember now seeing Raggul slightly tremble when he pointed his gun at me, and how his voice almost faltered when he barked orders at me. "Definitely not."

"We watched you deal with him on Tantum that day, Testarossa. You should know that I never forget the face of someone who hurts a person that I care for." I huffed.

"Does _she_ count in that aspect? Or are you guys going to be surprised that I asked that too?" Yup, I knew it. More baffled expressions. I sighed. "I'm an Enforcer, you guys. In other words, I'm trained to notice human behavior, which also means that I have to read criminals' thoughts just by reading their expressions. You guys aren't criminals, though… You're much easier, like a book actually."

The entire family smiled at my humor –even Zafira did this weird dog-grin thing –except for Vita. I felt the chill of her icy stare but I merely glared back at her, hoping that it was just as cold as or maybe even colder than hers. The rich deep blue eyes narrowed before their owner stood and walked out of the room, her emotions made obvious by her stomps. What's with her?

"Testarossa…" I turned my crimson back to another deep blue. I noticed right away that her eyes are the same color as Vita's, but hers seemed softer, not nearly as much edge as the second lieutenant. I refocused my thoughts when Signum spoke again. "May I ask you something?"

"I believe you just did. What is it?" I recognized what flashed in those blue and knew the question before it ever left her lips. It was the one question that I really didn't want to talk about.

"Why did you leave your wrist communicator on? Why did you make Takamachi-san and… why did you make us watch that occur?" I involuntarily flinched when she spoke_ that_ name, but I knew that that she wanted to ask 'Why did you make **me** watch that?'

"If had turned it off, Raggul would have shot me point-blank. With it on, I was able to take him by surprise, especially since noise was still coming from it. I didn't want anyone watch anything, and I certainly didn't expect to get shot. So," I released a breath that I did realize I was holding. "I'm sorry that you had to see that, but it was… necessary."

"Fate, you need to know why Nanoha did what she did," Hayate suddenly stated. There was no getting out of this; I could tell by her tone. I t was that of a general.

"No, I don't. Not now." I never said that I wouldn't at least **try** to get out of it.

I stood up from the couch and walked in the direction that I remember their bathroom being. No one stopped me from doing so. In fact, no one talked to me until I had to ask where I would be sleeping for the night.

"We don't have any guest bedrooms," Signum answered. "But you are more than welcome to stay in m bed for the night. That is… if you don't mind."

I shrugged. "Whatever. I just want to sleep." Signum led me to her bedroom, which was rather plain. The only objects that really stood out to me were some picture frames on her dresser, which I approached to get a closer look. Out of the 5 frames, 3 of them were happy moments between Hayate and the rest of the Knights. The other two included the pink-haired woman and one other person. In a blue frame, Hayate hugged Signum with one arm as she held a diploma in the other's hand; it was obviously her graduation from high school, right before they joined the Bureau and served it completely.

In the black frame with red edges was a picture that made me blush. It must have been taken a long time ago because I was in my old barrier jacket and much shorter than the Knights' leader. I was blushing in the picture as Signum ruffled my hair affectionately; a soft smile that anyone rarely saw those days graced the woman's lips.

Weren't those the days… Back then I didn't have to worry about dating or prolonged missions on hazardous planets. Everything back then was… simple. At least, it was compared to things now. That was the time after the accident with Mother, when I had recovered from that horrid ordeal. It was after the Book of Darkness, but before Caro and Erio. Caro… and—

"Signum?" I turned to the Belkan knight. I imagine that my crimson eyes were blazing with a sudden passion. "How are Caro and Erio?" I paused as the next words were caught in my throat. "And… Vivio?"

Vivio… it's been more than 6 years since I've held her, since I've kissed her and told her how much I love her. She must be 11 or 12 years old now, which means that she's in junior high! Caro and Erio must be old enough to be going on missions by themselves.

"They are fine, Testarossa," Signum said softly, probably to comfort me. "They are both currently undercover right now, so you can't see them right now. And… Vivio is currently in her second year of junior high. She's 12 years old, but she will turn 13 soon. The school that she goes to is a boarding school, and she stays there during the week. She'll be home in two days because it's a school holiday. Vivio has grown up a lot… I don't know if you should see her yet."

"Of course I'm going to see her! Why would you suggest otherwise," I snapped. She's still my daughter.

"After Takamachi-san started dating Scrya, Vivio began to see you more as an older sister. She calls Scyra her father, but with a great reluctance. She knew about the possibilities of you not awakening, so she's doing her best to make Takamachi-san happy." I sat on the edge of Signum's large bed, holding my head in my hands. I felt my face grow hot with both anger and sadness, and my eyes stung from the tears I refused to let fall. No, I won't cry over Nanoha anymore.

After taking a deep breath, I asked the question that I dreaded most: "Do you think she even wants to see me?"

The pause that followed drove me mad. I felt so many emotions and had no way to let them out. Oh, how I wanted a punching bag right now. The mattress squeaked slightly as Signum sat next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I was surprised at the amount of heat that radiated from that arm.

"… She would give up everything to see you. For years, that is all she has wished for. The only obstacle is Takamachi-san… You would have to see her in order to see Vivio. You said yourself that there is a difference between what you want and what you can handle. Can you handle seeing Takamachi-san with Scrya?"

A lump in my throat made it hard to breathe. Could I handle that? Am I strong enough to?

I remembered the promise that I once made to Nanoha. 'I'll get stronger, so that I can protect you. I have to get stronger' is what I said.

"I may not be strong enough to accept their relationship, but I am strong enough to overlook it… if it's so I can see Vivio again." I stood up from the bed, taking a deep breath before facing Signum again. This time, I suspect that my determination made my eyes intense. "I wish to go and train in the training room tomorrow. Will you come with me? You know, in case something happens?"

"I believe that you are worried about the unknown poison, yes? Your body must have worked it all out of your bloodstream since you woke up, so there's probably nothing to worry about. I will accompany you, but only so you don't push yourself too hard. Your body is still weak, so you need to be careful how much you exert yourself for the next few weeks."

"Yes, mom. Whatever you say," I replied as I rolled my eyes. When I heard Signum chuckle, I joined her. "Well, I guess that we should get some sleep. Tomorrow might be a long day…"

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><p><strong>AN**:... Okay. So this got some vital info out in the open. However, it also raised some questions, like Raggul.

Someone asked whether or not Fate will stay as an Enforcer. As far as her physical condition is concerned, Fate cannot go on any missions or anything until she is in tip-top shape. So until then, she probably won't even think about asking for a mission. Right now, Fate has to worry about Vivio and regaining her strength.

Hey guys, I really do appreciate all of your awesome reviews. I'm really sorry that I kept you guys waiting for so long. You guys are really great, and I love all of you (whether you review or not)! (Check out the poll on my profile, okay?)

Until next time! :3 ~_Wolf-of-Wind_


	4. Landing an Attractive Lady

_A/N: You readers can thank the 3 voters that voted for this story to be uploaded next now. I was planning on updating all my stories, but I just didn't know which one to do first. Oh, and the title is a spur of the moment thing. Enjoy!_

**__DISCLAMIER: **I don't own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, but I did put it on my Christmas List. Come on, Santa! :D

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><p>Chapter 4: Landing an Attractive Lady<p>

"Testarossa, you should really slow down," Signum called to me as I ran my seventh lap around the track. "You're going to pull something."

"That's your best excuse?" I yelled back to her between breaths. "That I'll 'pull something'? Pretty weak, Signum!" I could almost hear the knight's sigh over my loud heartbeat. I smirked over at her. "Why don't you join me? Oh! How about a race!"

"Since when did you become a track star, Testarossa?"

"Dunno. But I do know that I've never felt this much power or this healthy! I bet I could even beat you in a spar!"

"…You're ego is bigger than usual… And the fact that you have this much energy might be a bad sign," Signum thought aloud.

I ran over to the pink haired woman and stopped to regulate my breathing. I found it amusing that she was trying hard not to stare. Oh, and how it was weird that I hadn't broken a sweat yet. "Bad? How so?"

Sapphire eyes narrowed as she spoke her mind again."That poison that entered your bloodstream with Raggul's bullet… We still don't know the properties of it or what it could do to your body and mind. I thought that since you woke up that it cleaned itself out, but it might be just the opposite. Perhaps the poison was festering in your body for those five years, and the effects of it are now coming into the light."

"Pfft! Don't be ridiculous, Signum. What poison increases physical performance? I think that my body is just happy to release all of this built up energy!" Signum's eyes came back into focus and turned to glare at me. Those same hypnotic eyes watched as I purposely fell forward and started doing pushups at a rather fast pace.

"You're not thinking like an Enforcer, Testarossa. You're acting like an obnoxious teenage boy with an annoyingly large ego."

"Ouch! That was kind of harsh…"

"Well, a fact is a fact. Saying it in a nicer way wouldn't change that."

I chuckled. "You know that you just kinda rhymed, right?" Signum's expression remained stoic as she sighed.

"I prove my point," said the first lieutenant as she turned and walked towards the Sector Six's building. I rolled my eyes before I ran and caught up with the older woman. Wait…

"Signum, how old are you?" The knight gave me a warning glare, causing me to falter momentarily. "I-I mean, I was just curious. Did I age while I was in my coma?"

"Physically, yes, but as far as Shamal and all the researchers for the Testarossa Project are concerned, you're still 18. Yet another mystery associated with the substance in your body."

"Wait… I have a project named after me?" I gave Signum a look of disbelief, though I had to refrain from pointing out how she ignored my first question. "Why?"

"Did you really think that Hayate-san wouldn't get all the top researchers in the area to try and revive you and study that poison, searching for an antidote? Have you no faith, Testarossa?"

"No, no. It's just that I didn't expect _that_ much," I defended. "I guess I underestimated Hayate… Oh! Speak of the devil!" A uniform-clad Hayate gave me a friendly glare as she approached us.

"I certainly hope that you weren't talking about me behind my back, Fate-chan," the brunette joked.

"Oh, I would never," I retorted, the sarcasm obvious. I felt my expression brighten with hope as I remembered something. "Hey, what day is today?"

"Um… Saturday." I ran off towards the showers after Hayate before she could say anything else. The general looked at Signum. "What's with her?"

Signum sighed. "Today is when Testarossa says she'll go see Vivio."

"But doesn't that mean—"

"Yes, it does. She thinks that she's ready." Hayate looked in the direction that I ran off in.

"I hope she's right…" she whispered.

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><p>"Not going to happen." My eyes narrowed at my pink-haired friend.<p>

"And why not?"

"It's irresponsible." My eyes went wide.

"But you're the one who introduced me to motorcycles!" I practically yelled after making sure my lower jaw was still connected to my face. Signum's eyes showed her amusement while her face remained serious.

"I'm not talking about you riding motorcycles in general, Testarossa. I'm talking about you riding a motorcycle to go see your kid who probably doesn't even know that you're walking around yet." An excellent point.

"Whatever. Why are you here, anyways? I didn't ask for you to come with me." A kinda rude point.

"Hayate-san asked me to accompany you since you will have to encounter both Takamachi-san and Scyra-san at once... in a public place."

"So you all think that I'm psychotic now?"

"Stop being so childish, Testarossa. Let's just take your car." Signum gestured to the red sports car on the other side of the garage.

"Whoa! Where'd that come from?" I exclaimed.

"It was there the whole time. You just had tunnel vision." Signum sighed. "You really are a child; you see something shiny and forget your surroundings. It's completely unlike you…"

A strange heat ignited in my chest when I saw the look on the first lieutenant's face. I know this feeling… Oh no. No no no. I "ahem"-ed while breaking eye contact with the Knight leader. "Fine, let's go. I don't want to miss them."

We walked to my car in a comfortable silence, though I was quite frustrated with my heart's rapid tempo. What's up with me? Signum's my friend, not a love interest… Right? What about Nanoha?

_What about her?_

…She's… my friend. As long as she has Yuuno, she can be nothing more than that.

"Are you okay, Testarossa?" I snapped back to reality to find myself behind the steering wheel of my car and Signum in the passenger seat.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine." I turned the key in the ignition, making the engine roar to life. Still worried about my previous thoughts, I breathed in and ran a hand through my blond tresses. "Just thinking about how much of a crazy person I was a few days ago. I… I really freaked out with Nanoha. God, I hope she's okay."

"…Interesting. I'm surprised that you feel that way." I looked at those sapphire eyes, but only saw that they were intense enough to make the dashboard catch fire. "She was selfish by not waiting for you. All of her decisions hurt her and her relationships with others, including Vivio. Takamashi-san shouldn't have your concern."

I didn't flinch when those rich blue pools turned to me, still hard and merciless. I cleared my throat before I pulled the car out onto interstate, heading for the local airport. "I think that it's my turn to be surprised now. Why are you so hard on her? It's not she left you for Ferret Boy."

"I'm hard on her because I remember how long you waited for her when she was injured and in critical condition. I remember how you refused to leave her side for days, how ragged and pitiful you became because of her." She paused, and I could have sworn that I heard her growl, but I could be mistaken. "The least that she could do is wait for you to wake up…"

"Wow, this is definitely not how you felt a few nights ago. Or were you just hiding your true feelings for my benefit?" I flashed my red eyes to her blue. "You were, weren't you?"

A silence filled the air except for the sound of the car accelerating. The hum made me feel on edge, but I don't know why.

"Hayate-san thought that it would be best if I kept my thoughts to myself. The last thing she wanted was for me to fuel your anger towards Takamachi-san that night. She also didn't want Vita and I to get in another fight over the issue. However, that wasn't a problem since she left as soon as you spoke harshly towards Takamachi-san." I groaned as I remembered the daggers Vita glared at me for the past few days.

"So that's why. While you sympathized with me, Vita supported Nanoha. I have to make amends with her later, after I do so with Nanoha." I felt Signum's eyes on me.

"Are you really going to ask her for forgiveness, Testarossa? After the problems she's caused with her decisions?"

"I will try to, yes. In order to move on, I need that. Closure, I suppose." I shrugged as my own thoughts confused me. "I dunno. I just feel like it's the right thing to do. Besides, I feel really bad about yelling at her like it did. It just seemed like we were still together, but…"

I couldn't finish that sentence. I felt the familiar sting of tears and briskly rubbed my eyes with my sleeve. I refuse to get emotional over something like this. How will I be able to face Nanoha?

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><p>The white plane's door opened, and the occupants quickly exited the vessel to soak in some sunlight and stretch their stiff limps. It was a five hour flight, after all.<p>

Among the exiting passenger was a young teen with long strawberry-blonde hair tied with a blue bow a few inches from the slightly curly ends. She was tall for her age and extremely beautiful. She appeared still somewhat childish, but also gave off a feeling of maturity beyond her years. However, the vast beauty was hidden behind large sunglasses.

"Damn, that girl is hot. I mean, I'm not one for cradle-snatching, but—"

"Testarossa, that's Vivio."

"Hell yeah, she's—"

"…"

"Holy shit."

"Yep."

I looked at the teen that was now descending the stairs attached to the plane again. I laughed. "Haha, nice one, Signum, but that girl is at least seventeen, not fourteen."

The pink-haired knight quirked a brow. "Look again, Testarossa."

I rolled my eyes before turning to gander at the gorgeous young lady again, and luckily, I caught her right when she was pulling off her shades, and man, was that a sight to behold! I tried my hardest not to blink so that I wouldn't miss the graceful action, but alas, I did.

My red met with another red and green.

"Double holy shit." I gaped at the beautiful young lady, who was now looking back at me with the classic deer-caught-in-the-headlights gaze. I saw her mouth move, and thanks to my sensitive hearing, I was able to make out what she mumbled.

"…Fate-mama?"

"…Vivio."

Everything happened in slow motion. I saw her eyes light up and water, then she sprinted to me. My body acted on its own accord and mirrored Vivio's. It felt like forever before I reached her and embraced her with all I had. I ran a hand through her golden locks as her sobs racked her body and tears silently slid down my face.

"Fate-mama! Fate-mama!" Vivio cried over and over again into the crook of my neck. It reminded me of her toddler years, when she would randomly start crying and I would hold her in the same way, whispering the same words of comfort in order to calm her.

"You're so beautiful, my dear Vivio," I muttered when she finally calmed down.

"I missed you so much, Fate-mama! I felt so lost—" Vivio's voice cracked and she broke down into sobs again, though not as bad as the first time.

"I missed you, too, Vivio. So very much." I played with the ribbon in her hair, immediately recognizing my old hairstyle. "I guess you take after me now instead of Nanoha-mama, huh?"

The strawberry-blonde's body stiffened and all sobs were abruptly silenced. I tried to remain calm, but I felt uneasy on the inside. "What's wrong, Vivio?"

"Mom... If she sees you, she'll…"

"She'll what?" I asked as I distanced us enough to see her mismatched eyes. "What will Nanoha do?"

"Scrya called me last night and told me that a few days ago an old friend came by and made Mom upset. Then he told me that I wasn't allowed to leave the house until he thought it was safe. He said that I couldn't talk to anyone at the airport until Mom got here."

My grip on the teen tightened a little, but not enough for her to feel any pain. "Of course he did," I muttered under my breath, but it was low enough that Vivio didn't hear me. I released her and cleared my throat. "I see," I said a little louder. "That's interesting. Wait, why did you call Yuuno 'Scrya'?"

Red and emerald rolled. "I know that he's scum, Fate-mama. Ever since he starting seeing Mom, I've known that. For some reason, Mom's completely oblivious. I've tried telling her and even told her to break up with him before he got really serious, but Mom said that'll never happen. And—"

"Wait," I interrupted. "What do you mean 'that'll never happen'?" Has Nanoha not told Vivio about the engagement?

"As in Scrya won't propose anytime soon, at least that's what Mom thinks. I've told her over and over again that that's complete bullshit—"

"Language, Vivio. I know that Nanoha didn't raise you to have such a bad mouth." I gave her a pointed look and expected to get an apology in return.

"Yeah, just like she didn't raise me to take after her and her remarkable faithfulness," Vivio responded sarcastically. Whoops, looks like my expectations were too high for that one.

"Stop it, Vivio. Nanoha has been a wonderful mother to you. She at least deserves your respect in her decisions, no matter how much they hurt me or anyone else." Those mismatched eyes gave me this look that made me hug her again, rather than reprimand her further like I should've done.

"I'm just glad you're back again, Fate-mama. Now everything can go back to normal... Why did you just hug me tighter?"

I hesitated. Nanoha really hasn't told Vivio yet? Well, her mom's ex-girlfriend really shouldn't be the one who delivers the oh-so-joyful news, right?

"…I should go before your mother gets here," I said deadpanned. "If you need me, talk to Signum or Hayate, okay? It… It would be best if you try not to contact me too often, for Nanoha's sake. Be nice to her. She and I love you with our whole hearts." I released the teen once more, taking a few steps back before waving and turning to leave. I stopped when arms wrapped around from behind me, followed by what I assumed to be a tear-streaked face against my middle back.

"NO! Don't say such things if you don't mean them! How can you say that you both love me but not each other anymore!" Almost everyone in the terminal looked in our direction, some even stopped completely and stared. All the dirty looks said 'how dare you make a beautiful young girl cry!', but my glare responded 'Just fuck off. You've got no idea what this is about.'

"Vivio, let me go," I urged in a soft tone. "The last thing that needs to happen is for Nanoha to get upset—"

"Why aren't you fighting for her?" Her voice was calm now, which thankfully made most of the unwanted on-lookers continue on their merry way. "Do you not love her anymore?"

I felt a pang in my chest, something that I have become too familiar with in the past week. "Of course I still love Nanoha." The sobs ceased as I spoke and shifted so that I was looking back into crimson and emerald. "But she's happy now. It's my task to make sure she stays that way, with or without me. That's what friends are for, Vivio." I gave her a warm smile in attempt to hide the chagrin lurking beneath the surface.

A confused expression is all I got in response. However, confused soon melted into understanding… then anger.

"Scrya proposed," Vivio half-questioned, half-growled. How do I answer her?

* * *

><p><em>AN: ... Was it good? Review and let me know. You can also PM me if you want._

_I'm going to start doing chapter songs (And maybe I'll get around to find some for the first 3 chaps...)_

**Chapter Song:** "The Heart of Life" by John Mayer

_A somewhat happy song for a somewhat happy chapter. I felt like it fit the conversation between Fate and Vivio pretty well. Also, I'd imagine that the lyrics are similar to whatever Fate has been telling herself, giving herself some sort of comfort/courage. If you don't like how I interpret it, then whatever. I hope that you liked this chapter, though, 'cause it might be a little while until the next one is published..._

_And when I say "a little while," I mean that I'm gonna try to have it ready in a month. -_-_

_Anyways, thanks for reading! See you soon! :D_


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